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All the vexations could be resolved right here in the mind, with the sword of the method

If I had a sword that could destroy everything that ever touches its blade, would I ever try to slash all my troubles with it? Definitely not! Simply because it's way too exhausting! And because I know that all the vexations could be resolved right here in the mind, with the sword of the method!

I was born in a normal Taiwanese family, where respect towards our ancestors was of great importance and where worship for the deities was performed from time to time. The solemn expressions on my parents' faces and their sincere prayers always reminded me of the unavoidable hardship in life. But I was not especially concerned about religion because I doubt that, with so many mishaps around the world, deities would ever bother to pay any attention to someone as normal as me. From observing people around me, I came to find that, even for those who are especially religious; they still face many problems in life. And it is difficult to verify if they gained any power or wisdom from their religious beliefs and practices.

In early 2007, I began to take interest in Buddhism, not out of a need for a sanctuary for a troubled mind, but a need to figure out how come my life was still a mess after making all the seemingly necessary efforts. After reading several books on Buddhism, I got the impression that all the teachings of the Buddha came from his practicing of meditation. Then why not just give it a try myself? So I attended the Beginners Meditation Class in 2008 but could not join DDM IMG's (International Meditation Group) weekly group practice on a regular basis until several years later due to some family issues.

I have not experienced anything special in the retreats, nor have I felt anything extraordinary while practicing at home or with IMG. But after several years of practice, I did notice that my mind became gradually clearer, with less and less conflicting thoughts and tangling emotions. In the face of some major life events, it became easier to face them, understand them, deal with them and accept them. Life was no longer a series of unrealized dreams that still bit me once in a while, but a wide spectrum of events that shed light on yet to be revealed truth about life itself in each and every possible way.

The way towards peace of mind and wisdom as taught by the Buddha is not limited to those with an oriental background. And this could be witnessed and experienced here at IMG. For quite a long time, the correspondence with practitioners was made possible and maintained by a Swiss. For some time, a high percentage of practitioners from Germany constituted a common scenery almost every week. Later, a student from mainland China became a regular attendant for almost four years, whose humble and touching smile proved that it is still possible to find an undefiled person in times like these. Then, friends from Burma, Singapore, USA and many other countries enriched the group discussions with a wide variety of different perspectives. In a session of two and a half hours, time is left for each practitioner to face him or herself in sitting, standing and walking meditation, with the help of nothing more than the method.

As a volunteer, I'm always moved knowing that some practitioner seem to find a better way to face themselves and the difficulties ahead. It's not realized through some powerful prayer or mysterious magic. Rather, it is realized through a deeper understanding of the self and a clearer awareness of the mental state. Changes and improvements are then made possible through one's own efforts, without the need to rely on anything else.

If I had a sword that could destroy everything that ever touches its blade, would I ever try to slash all my troubles with it? Definitely not! Simply because it's way too exhausting! And because I know that all the vexations could be resolved right here in the mind, with the sword of the method!